We rushed past the flashing lights of the paparazzi and tjen I was thrusted into the waiting limo. Before I even settled into my seat the car was pulling away from the curve at a sharp angle and sn unwarranted speed. I found my silk clad ass being tossed up against Lucian's unaffected frame.

"What's the hurry?" I gasped out in shock.

But as always Lucian remained mutely silent.

I regained my seat and tentatively buckled up for Nick was still doing aerobatics in the drivers seat serving us in and out of oncoming traffic.

"What's wrong? " I asked again feeling frustrated and helpless. I hated that feeling. I hated Lucian!

I glanced at the locked doors of the limo seeing myself pulling the knob and tossing myself out onto the speeding road. The embrasures of the roughen textures of gravel scraping me raw on impact as the momentum of the plunge sent me rolling. I would end my fall in a broken neck.... hopefully.

I blinked away the enticing image from my mind. Morbid thoughts like that were unhealthy. Inevitable due to the company I kept but nevertheless...unhealthy.

The ride back remained silent but I could tell both Lucian and Nick were on the alert. We must be expecting an attack of some sort. My hopes buoyed up. There may be an opportunity yet for my untimely demise. I felt a renewed surge if an excitement. Death happened all too often enough in the company I keep but unfortunately never to me. I was always too well protected. I was literally kept away from the danger. No doubt I was the reason why we were on the run now instead of staying and fighting.

Usually I went along with it. Going willingly with their attempts to keep me safe but recently I have been more reluctant to do as bid. Dying being the preferable alternative to living this non-existence that I now lived.

But so far my attempts had been in vain.

Not so tonight.

I didn't know who was after us and I didn't care. I just wanted the pleasure of this opportunity to do away with my existence period.

The limo pulled up not at the house but at the block of apartments that housed Lucian's condo.

I was being hauled out unceremoniously. I tugged back uselessly trying to delay my departure from danger into safety. But as always my efforts were in vain. I was hauled up willy nilly into Lucian's arms and carried high against his chest.

"I can walk," I said insistently but again my words were ignored.

The squeals of tires burning rubber as two black SUVs pulled up by the curve was music to my ears. I glanced over Lucian's shoulders at the blur of activity behind us. It was obvious Nicky had stepped in to the rescue.

He fought the assailants at vampiric speeds. I was already in the foyer protected within the solid walls of the building and then Lucian's strong arms around me when it happened. The door to the elevators swung open to reveal a goddess. Black hair and black eyes. She swung her sword up to slash into us.

I reacted without a conscious thought. My love for Lucian foremost in my actions. Without any awareness whatsoever. And more importantly with a strength I hadn't known I was capable of.

I leaped out of Lucian's hold. Wrenching out of his vice-like grip on me and swung around in an aerobatic manuever that sent my stillettos shod foot crashing into the vamp before me. She floundered for the second necessary that allowed me to position myself just right.

The double edgee sword cleaved through me like butter.

The howl of rage that errupted from behind me was blood curling and sent shivers drifting down my spine in the approaching terror.

I fell to his feet and left the attacking vamp vulnerable to his attentions. My lost thoughts before I blacked out was those of sympathy for the vampire girl. She didn't stand a chance. I felt sorry for her for having to die especially since she had granted me such a boon in gifting me my own death.